Family says popular energy drink played role in cheerleader's fatal heart condition

The family of a 17-year-old Texas cheerleader has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a distributor of a popular energy drink, saying the teenager died from an enlarged heart caused by ingesting large amounts of caffeine.

The family of a 17-year-old Texas cheerleader has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a distributor of a popular energy drink, saying the teenager died from an enlarged heart caused by ingesting large amounts of caffeine.

Subscribe to read this story ad-free

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

Larissa Nicole Rodriguez, a college-bound high school student in Weslaco, Texas, died in October. Benny Agosto Jr., her family’s attorney, said at a news conference Wednesday that the Hidalgo County medical examiner determined that her cause of death “was an enlarged heart due to stress and large amounts of caffeine.” Hidalgo County did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Agosto said Alani Nu energy drinks, which Rodriguez drank often, “had inadequate warnings about the serious cardiac risks that this product brings.” The suit, which was filed Wednesday in Hidalgo County District Court, includes the allegation and seeks more than $1 million in damages. The family did not respond to a request for comment.